AMNESTY PERIOD AND MASSIVE OUTSTANDING HOT-CHECK WARRANT ROUNDUP ANNOUNCED

El Paso County Sheriff Jimmy Apodaca and Assistant County Attorney Kent Sutton announced today an upcoming massive warrant roundup and amnesty week for individuals with outstanding hot check warrants in El Paso County. The amnesty period runs from Monday October 6 thru Friday October 10, 2008. Individuals with outstanding hot check warrants who pay during the amnesty period will avoid the publication of their names in a special insert to be distributed in the El Paso Times on Sunday October 19, 2008. Additionally, individuals who make payments during the amnesty week will save money by avoiding the payment of many fees, such as court costs, attorney fees, and the payment of bonds. Most importantly, they will avoid incarceration during the upcoming county-wide arrest warrant round-up.Residents with outstanding hot check warrants can make their payments at the El Paso County Attorney’s Office, 5th floor of the County Courthouse, 500 E. San Antonio. The payment window at the County Attorney’s Office will be operating with extended hours Monday thru Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Forms of payment accepted include most credit cards, money orders, cashiers checks, and cash, however those paying cash would have to bring the exact amount (cashiers can’t give change).For more information regarding hot check payments and balances please contact the El Paso County Attorney’s Office Hot Check Unit at 546-2051. The complete and updated list of individuals with theft by check outstanding warrants will remain posted in the El Paso County web site at: www.epcounty.com/CA. There are currently more than 4,600 names in the County’s hot checks warrants list, who owe local merchants more than 4.04 million dollars. During fiscal year 2007-2008 the Hot Check Unit collected 1.4 million dollars in outstanding hot checks